Promoting Concerts in Fiji

All the people of Fiji are music lovers thus doing Live concerts here usually pull a huge crowd.

The biggest crowd ever aside from Benny Hinn's Crusade in Suva was UB40's live performance at Lautoka's Churchill Park. Aside from the 15,000 plus crowd inside the grounds, about an additional 7,000 people were content to stay outside the concert perimetre and just listen.

Live Concerts in Fiji has the capability to boost all sorts of business.

Tourism, transport providers, print companies, marketing companies, TV, Radio, newspapers & even telecommunications companies can make money from one major act alone. This was evident when I worked for Pacific Groove who was Concert Promoter for UB40's Who You Fighting For Fiji Tour 2006.

However, it's not all smooth sailing in Fiji for Concert Promoters.

We pay an Artist Tax of around 32% of the Artist Fee. So if an Artist like Beyonce costs US$250K to get on stage for a 3 hour show, than the Concert Promoter (in Fiji) will need to pay government in advance US$80K. The Artist cannot get on stage in Fiji without that 32% Artist Tax being paid upfront to FIRCA. This does not waiver the tax of VAT on all ticket sales which equates to another 12.5% of income earned for the concert.

Then, we have the expenses of venue for the concerts to worry about. The Fiji Sports Council has a standard fee of FJ$10K for an international standard gig like UB40, Soweto Gospel Choir or an artist of a similar standing on the world stage. The venue fee of FJ$10K does not include the stage, sound & lights. This is a separate responsibility of the Concert Promoter.

Other expenses are: ground handling by a DMC in Fiji. In my experience we have mostly used Rosie Holidays for their vast experience, excellent communication skills with senior & middle management staff. They also do not charge as much. In 2 previous cases, they have provided this service FREE OF CHARGE in exchange for marketing mileage. Hotel Accomodation for the visiting Artist & his/her troupe, in some cases all meals and drinks etc. Technical Riders can be tricky as well, since we first have to know whether the requirements are available in Fiji or needs to be sourced from offshore.

An important factor to take into account as well is the sponsorship powers and capabilities of local business's. The fact is - it's not much when we compare it to the New Caledonia concerts market.

All in all, for an artist like UB40, a Concert Promoter in Fiji would need an upfront cashflow of around FJ$500K to work with before any returns can be received.

Just imagine, if a Fiji Concert Promoter tried to bring in someone like Beyonce.

However, it is not all bad news, the good news is that worldwide a trend is growing that people are moving towards watching artists live rather than purchasing CD's. It is also proving a bit more lucrative for artists themselves.

This leaves Fiji with an open window of opportunity. We have the sun, sand & sea with good enough accomodation. Throw in a free ticket to watch Beyonce in an open space in Nadi, and you have your perfect holiday!

At Unique Events, we are keeping our fingers crossed and working hard to try and make things happen.

Happy New Year & A Blessed 2009 to you all!

Annual Vanua Balavu Xmas Trip

Every year a couple of days before Christmas, their is usually a special direct trip to Vanua Balavu.

This trip is looked forward to by those of us who reside & work outside of our villages. It's a getaway like no other - a time to just relax and visit family. Aside from the preparations for Christmas Day proper, their is the usual visiting or "veisiko" business to other relatives where our bloodlines have gone into other villages. It's quite an exciting time for those of us that have been brought up outside of the fijian village set up.

Village life is most fascinating! People in a village can be grouped into different categories- the hard workers, the lazy, the story tellers (both good & gossipers) and the most famed grog swipers.

I've had the privilege of visiting my village nearly every Christmas for the past 7 or 8 years. The experience has been so uplifting, encouraging and has taught me to appreciate everything that life has to offer.

Due to work commitments, i cannot make this famous trip this year.

I hope this Christmas Season brings you JOY, PEACE, PROSPERITY & A NEW SENSE OF APPRECIATION FOR LIFE as it always does me.

Appreciate the Birth of Christ this season by GIVING to an unfortunate family member or friend! God Bless and Stay Safe from us at Unique Events.

Christmas Party Specials

Unique Events Christmas Party Specials have begun already! Costs are $24 per head for a minimum of 70 pax! Theme is Christmas! This cost includes the following:

1. Catering with the following Menu: Seafood Delicacies, Lovo foods, Vegetarian assorted dishes with chutneys, Deserts (Fruit platters), Salads & Curry chicken

2. Set up of venue, which means all decor props for Christmas Theme

3. Supply of crockery, cutlery etc for catering needs

This means that the client will just have to focus on getting to the venue and having a ball!

To be supplied by the client: Venue (could even be your company backyard), alcoholic & non alcoholic beverages.

You can e-mail me on the supplied e-mail address on the left, but hurry because i'll have to recheck dates with current bookings!

Merry Christmas to you all!

Kadavu Rugby

Well, the Kadavu Rugby Awards had it's fair share of delays, but was a good start all the same.

The support is just overwhelming and goes to show the number of Kadavuans in the West. Next year, the Awards will most probably be bigger and should encompass most Kadavuans living in the urban areas!

Thank you for a great success!

Kadavu Rugby Awards

It's with great pleasure that i've been requested to pitch in to assist in the decor & set up at the Kadavu Rugby Awards this Saturday evening at Hotel 2000, Lautoka.

Since, i'm "vasu" Natumua, Tavuki, i didn't mind at all in assisting.

I understand that Kadavu Rugby is just 3 months old and is an affiliate of the Lautoka Rugby Union.

Stay tuned in here, and i'll post some photo's after the function.

Our Chief Guest is Iliesa Tanivula! The Nadi Rugby Union has also been invited along with 200 sold tickets!

So, a Kadavu function in the West is a sure shot PARTY!

Tickets are $25 includes dinner & free drinks - contact Mosese Naivalu on 9788 053 (yep from Yasawa, vasu Natumua, Tavuki). Hope to see you there!

Slogan on the tickets: Nomu Liga! Nomu Laga!

Fiji Orchid - An Excellent Place for a 8 member Corporate Retreat!

On Sunday 16th November, i went to visit Fiji Orchid for the 1st time. The purpose of the trip was to have a look at the facilities they provide and how i could use them for certain events i may have planned for the future.

I was very impressed with the lush greenery and how the proprietor Mrs Jenny Bourke has done an excellent job at working around placing the accomodation villa's without disturbing nature! Superb JOB!

On top of this, Aunty Jenny's passionate focus on everything green - energy saving that is. The gardens are in superb condition with LED lights well placed throughout the lushness. The accomodation quarters are very unique and something i have never seen in any other part of Fiji! Luxurious, yet approachable is what i would best describe it as!

The food we had at lunch was just excellent and made from all local produce.

I don't want to give too much away and would highly recommend this to business's looking to do corporate retreats for their top management people. It's important to note that the property may only accomodate a maximum of 8 couples at a time.

Let me know if you're interested, i shall most certainly acquire the best rates for you!

Me...About Me & What I Do!

I thought i'd start by sharing a bit of myself. I hail from Malaka, Vanua Balavu in the Lau Group of Islands, Fiji. I love life & Thank God for it everyday! I've got 3 beautiful daughters who are growing up very very fast indeed.

My work experience has been wide ranging! I joined the work force as a civil servant in 1992 as a Court Interpreter and remained there for around 5 years, before resigning to stay home and look after my daughters...In 2000, i joined a Public Relations Consultancy firm and first got a taste of the Tourism industry through this job....round about 2003, i joined Turtle Island Resort. Working for Turtle Island has been an eye opener and has taught me a great deal...i began doing meet & greet for their very upmarket clientele...this involved meeting the guests/couples only upon arrival into Fiji and ensuring an excellent and problem free stay on the mainland until they departed for the island resort...this was sometimes a challenge but was rewarding nevertheless...i also began to learn and grasp how the tourism industry works...bookings by travel agents to individual properties, the percentage they take as their commission when successfully referring clients to another property etc...i also had the opportunity to work on the island doing guest services co-ordination...I must say, co-ordination for guest activities on Turtle Island is one of the best i have ever experienced!!!! IT IS AMAZING! Co-ordination is so vital to effectively running anything for that matter! Be it a hotel, an Awards night, a birthday, a suprise party, a team building exercise for a big corporation or whatever!

The "Turtle Experience" as an employee has made a big impact on my decision to venture out into Events Planning, Co-ordination & Execution!

That's what i do now - i plan, co-ordinate & execute events. It's been tough since my first baby steps of doing HOTEC 2004 & 2005. In 2005, i also co-ordinated the last ever Lucky Dube Concert in Fiji before his tragic passing last year! 2006, saw me get involved in the UB40 Who You Fighting For Fiji Tour - the last ever Fiji Tour of the band with Ali Campbell still in it! During the Vodafone Hibiscus Festival of 2006, i also planned & executed the VIP Lounge...that was awesome, big white marquee, complete with black bars & stools, 42" LG flatscreen and wireless sound system...at the time, Fosters still had it's Carlton Special Services which was superb! 2007 was a quite year...2008 saw me assist an old friend in pulling off Fiji's first ever Soweto Gospel Choir Concert...it was very exhilirating!

Yep, that's about me...